Meet Matt Kruse, the man making Facebook better

Kruse doesn’t work for Facebook, but he’s changed how people see their feeds.

Around ten o’clock on most nights, Matt Kruse will kiss his wife and two daughters goodnight, sit down in front of his computer and start coding. It’ll be one or two in the morning before he goes to bed. He works as a Web application developer at a staffing company during the day, but those late-night hours in his Illinois home are where he works on what he calls “who I really am.”

Kruse spends those hours making Facebook better. He doesn’t get paid for it, and he’s not an employee of the company (although it has tried to hire him before). The product of those hours is called Social Fixer—a browser extension designed to improve and enhance the site. It has become one of the most popular solutions for anyone who doesn’t like Facebook’s interface. Kruse says he doesn’t have an exact figure, but he estimates that between 500,000 and 1 million people use it, along with an e-mail list that boasts 1.4 million subscribers.

Social Fixer uses Javacript to modify Facebook’s interface. It gives you dozens of options for customizing how you see Facebook: you can separate updates into tabs, enable mouse-over image previews, change the layout, filter posts from your friends, give everything a theme and even hide the bits you find disagreeable. It’s a huge amount of work to keep going, but although Kruse has a tiny Paypal donations button on the bottom of his website to cover his expenses, he says he hasn’t made any efforts to profit from it, despite being contacted several times by people who sniffed money to be made.

So far, he’s turned them all down. “There was one person a while ago who seemed pretty promising,” he says. His tone is gently bemused, as if not quite believing that people actually want to pay money for his work. “I’ve had ten offers over the past four years from people who say they want to add advertising inside it or attach some additional software to the installer… But the way they wanted to implement it technically would have put my users at risk of them being malicious, so I couldn’t do that.”

Social Fixer was born in 2009 when Kruse became frustrated at not being able to tell the difference between new posts and ones he’d read already. “It was like looking at your inbox and seeing the same thing every time you loaded it up,” he says.

A Javascript engineer by trade, he wrote a quick and dirty Greasemonkey script for Firefox that he felt would fix some of the petty annoyances of the site. It was tricky, but he managed it: “Facebook is one of the most complicated systems I know of,” he says. “They’re constantly having to display all of this content, for millions of people at once, and do it without a break in the system… I’ve been using Javascript for a long time, so that seemed the easiest way to make the options available.”

Kruse showed it to colleagues at his job. Buoyed by their enthusiasm for his script, he put it online under the name Better Facebook. It got an audience fast, and Kruse found his hands full dealing with updates, modifying the software to deal with Facebook’s changing interface.

It wasn’t Kruse’s only “side project”—he also spends his night hours working on a javascript toolbox and PHP library for programmers—but in many ways, it was one he began work on at just the right time. In 2008, a year before he first started coding it, he and his wife, Dawn, lost their son. Kevin Kruse was two years old when he died from a heart condition.

“It was a big part of my life, and it affected us very much, and affected my view of things,” the soft-spoken Kruse says. What happened to his son, he explains, affected how he deals with his often vocal users—especially those unhappy with some aspect of the program.

“I’m more understanding of people,” he says. “There are a lot of people who have things going on in their lives, and knowing the struggles I had personally to hold my family and job together, there are a lot of people who have their own struggles. When they’re on there saying, this doesn’t work, this really annoys me, I can think, maybe they’re having a rough day or are going through a rough time. Maybe Facebook is all they have to connect to people. I try to keep in mind that someone might be having the worst day of their life today.”

Shortly after Better Facebook started to get popular, the company’s lawyers came calling. But while these sorts of visits usually end in acrimony and drawn-out court cases, this one had a happy ending—more or less. All the lawyers wanted was for Kruse to drop the ‘Facebook’ from the name. He happily complied, renaming it Social Fixer—and soon afterwards, they invited him to interview for a role there.

The author's Facebook page, using Social Fixer.

He didn’t end up working for Facebook—it told him he wasn’t a good cultural fit—but he says he was surprised that Social Fixer’s features weren’t being taken up by the company itself. “When I talked to the head Javascript guy at Facebook during the interview, he asked me how I do things and what I hook into, and he seemed to be amazed that this was even possible,” he says. “He hadn’t even considered that you could do this. They have a weird mindset there… they seem very protective of their ideas, and someone from the outside would never have a good enough idea to implement.”

Protective they might be, but Facebook let Kruse carry on tinkering with Social Fixer. It’s not a courtesy it's extended to others, coming down hard on similar programs like Unfriend Finder and FB Purity, blocking them from accessing the site.

Steve Fernandez, a British programmer, created FB Purity in 2009; like Kruse, he’d become frustrated at not being able to see what he wanted on Facebook’s homepage. But unlike its kid-gloves treatment of Kruse, Facebook got serious. Fernandez says that although initially it just asked him to remove its trademark from his program name, it then “decided to block my domain name from being shared on the Facebook site, to try and limit the spread of the app.” It led to a protracted fight between Fernandez and Facebook, which, he says, has led to his account being disabled and confrontations with the site’s legal team.

“As I am sure you are aware,” one of their lawyers wrote in an e-mail to Fernandez, “Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities prohibits integrations that impair the proper working or appearance of Facebook, including those that interfere with page rendering… Your extension was reported as interfering with and/or impairing site functionality and page rendering and links to your site have been blocked.”

When asked why it gave Social Fixer a pass and not FB Purity, Facebook’s press officer Jillian Stepanki declined to comment.

Kruse has done his best to steer Social Fixer clear of certain areas of Facebook that he feels might be more trouble than they’re worth—he’s kept out of the company’s thorny privacy and data security issues, for one. “I don’t have anything to do with privacy or security,” he explains “People have asked me for features to restrict what people can see, or can I change my privacy settings to be ideal, and I don’t want to mess with any of that. I don’t want to be responsible for a screw-up where somebody makes a post thinking Social Fixer would hide it, and it turned out to be public. I don’t want to be liable for anything like that."

“There’s nothing I can do to prevent Facebook from snooping on any of the data—they own it, it’s on their site. The only thing I do is affect what people see in their browsers.”

It’s not just Facebook that has tried to lure Kruse away from Illinois. Google has offered him a job—not once, but twice. Kruse turned the company down both times—he didn’t want to move his family all the way to California and didn’t fancy living somewhere as expensive as Google’s Silicon Valley base. But more than that, he says, it would have forced him to give up Social Fixer—Facebook is a direct competitor to Google, so he would have, in effect, been working on a competitor’s product.

“I think of my side-work as who I really am,” he says. “I go to my job and do my work, but I’m a creative person, and I like to build things. To give that up and walk away from it would be like sacrificing who I really am to get something that I’m not really.”

Despite the fact that he is, in effect, changing the work of Facebook’s engineers, Kruse says that he really appreciates what they do: “They do a fantastic job of creating something incredibly complex, way beyond anything I could do, and I wouldn’t exist unless they did.”

You try to make a point about how he's doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but obviously you've never actually used this program. I used to use it, and while he doesn't charge for it, the donation begging that goes on with it is extensive. You actually have to opt out of his regular donation beg, but it's only good for a month (or it was the last time I used it) and then there was the begging via the facebook page. Claiming he hasn't made any efforts to profit from it is simply a blatant lie.

Are Kruse's and the other blocked apps making calls via an API or are they just modifying the existing HTML in the user's browser? If it's the latter there's really nothing FB can do to stop them even if they wanted to.

I'd expect they could seriously frustrate him by obfuscating their JavaScript and changing the names of CSS classes and DOM elements. Certainly they could make it periodically break or be flaky to the point where most users would give up on it.

Of course, this kind of obfuscation would frustrate Facebook's own developers as well.

When I last used it facebook was frequently changing their code and it was constantly breaking, like every other day. I gave up on it at that point.

Outside supporting family and friends, What's more important than doing what you love? Matt volunteers an EXTRAORDINARY amount of time to giving people exactly what he stated with the original name...

My point is that if Facebook essentially nullifies all his effort at some point with a shift in business priorities and subsequent platform change, at least the experience and skills should translate to some other endeavor in the future. I'm not saying this will happen, but it certainly can, in which case it all seems a bit misguided.

At least when contributing to open-source projects, for example, you have a bit more control over the destiny of your efforts. Not so much with a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

I've considered trying Social Fixer, but the desktop site doesn't bother me that much. The only time I see the awful timeline layout is when I am at a friends page to just quickly post something to their wall, and my various Firefox security extensions nullify all the ads and other crap in the side bar.

What I really want is something like this for the mobile site on Android. Either an extension to a mobile browser, or a stand alone app. I refuse to even install the FB app on my phone, and the mobile site has become increasingly more irritating over time.

First they added 'people I may know' to the news feed on mobile, I HATED that. Then they made the obnoxious pictures of those people something around three times larger. Why does 'people I may know' need to take up, literally, half the screen on my S3 every time I first load the mobile page? I've never once friended one of those people in that list, and I honestly can't stand looking at most of them. I can't be the only one that wants an opt-out of that feature.

Don't get me wrong, I know all the reasons FB will never give us that option, but if a mobile social fixer type thing can, I will certainly give it a try.

There are other annoyances on mobile, (and surely more to come!), but that is the main one that I hate. If those auto-play video ads that everyone is talking about are coming to the mobile site news feed as well, I will probably delete my account.

It's broken by design. They do not want you to view an uncurated stream and revert you back intentionally/regularly.

My number one complaint. I just don't understand who would even want to use "Top stories". They seem to be just random stories, with very little thought. Completely useless. The desktop at least will stay on it for awhile. Their latest update with mobile means 100% default to top stories no matter how many times you choose most recent.

I only discovered Social Fixer a couple of weeks ago and found it incredibly useful. I can't move past the blue fascia of Facebook, though I've tried other colours! Blue really is the best colour, it seems.

Are Kruse's and the other blocked apps making calls via an API or are they just modifying the existing HTML in the user's browser? If it's the latter there's really nothing FB can do to stop them even if they wanted to.

I'd expect they could seriously frustrate him by obfuscating their JavaScript and changing the names of CSS classes and DOM elements. Certainly they could make it periodically break or be flaky to the point where most users would give up on it.

Of course, this kind of obfuscation would frustrate Facebook's own developers as well.

Actually they do just that - continually. That's the main reason he has to spend far more time in keeping up with changes than tweaking and improving Social Fixer. ....But it's not AIMED at Matt at aa - it's just facebook being facebook

Outside supporting family and friends, What's more important than doing what you love? Matt volunteers an EXTRAORDINARY amount of time to giving people exactly what he stated with the original name...

My point is that if Facebook essentially nullifies all his effort at some point with a shift in business priorities and subsequent platform change, at least the experience and skills should translate to some other endeavor in the future. I'm not saying this will happen, but it certainly can, in which case it all seems a bit misguided.

At least when contributing to open-source projects, for example, you have a bit more control over the destiny of your efforts. Not so much with a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

Point taken....and in fact they do. JavaScript is his main tool for developing Social Fixer itself - because he's already a JavaSript professional; But then also, to develop an extension for a browser needs a lot of knowledge of the browser code too [eg. earlier this year there were major changes to Chrome's code which messed up a lot of Social Fixer's functionality and took a lot of work to resolve]; So he's continually learning about various open-source browser codes, too.

You try to make a point about how he's doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but obviously you've never actually used this program. I used to use it, and while he doesn't charge for it, the donation begging that goes on with it is extensive. You actually have to opt out of his regular donation beg, but it's only good for a month (or it was the last time I used it) and then there was the begging via the facebook page. Claiming he hasn't made any efforts to profit from it is simply a blatant lie.

That's just plain incorrect - or is one click so much hard work? When it's first installed, the right side-bar gives you an introduction, an explanation of why donations are needed, and with a choice of 3 buttons: 'Donate' ; 'Remind me next month' - in which case you won't see the notice again for a month ; 'No thanks' - in which case you won't see the notice again. Is that continual begging in your world? I'd suggest you don't whine about NOT paying for FREE software!!

You try to make a point about how he's doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but obviously you've never actually used this program. I used to use it, and while he doesn't charge for it, the donation begging that goes on with it is extensive. You actually have to opt out of his regular donation beg, but it's only good for a month (or it was the last time I used it) and then there was the begging via the facebook page. Claiming he hasn't made any efforts to profit from it is simply a blatant lie.

That's just plain incorrect - or is one click so much hard work? When it's first installed, the right side-bar gives you an introduction, an explanation of why donations are needed, and with a choice of 3 buttons: 'Donate' ; 'Remind me next month' - in which case you won't see the notice again for a month ; 'No thanks' - in which case you won't see the notice again. Is that continual begging in your world? I'd suggest you don't whine about NOT paying for FREE software!!

When I used it long ago, there was no "no thanks", and as I mentioned, that was combined with the posts via the page about donating. You couldn't opt out of that, short of unliking or hiding the page, which cuts off all other updates. The claim was that he was making "no effort" to capitalize on it, but they completely ignore the fact that he does in fact solicit donations at every possible juncture. I can only relay what I experienced awhile ago. I have no idea what the state of it is, I just found that claim to be a little disingenuous.

It's all client side and (from what I can tell) doesn't manipulate any of the content. Instead the extension simply restyles the HTML to be more appeasing to the client. This only works on computers where the extension is installed and configured. Facebook doesn't have much to complain about here.

It's pure speculation, of course, but my guess would be FB leaves him alone because he isn't confrontational about things and shies clear of the controversial topics. Hell, they probably look at his code for places to improve, too. LOL

It's pure speculation, of course, but my guess would be FB leaves him alone because he isn't confrontational about things and shies clear of the controversial topics. Hell, they probably look at his code for places to improve, too. LOL

facebook's falsehood - aka Zukerberg's Suck-ups It seems facebook are no longer willing to accept anything other than their own domination - unless forced: And when I say 'unless forced, I MEAN it !! To quote Knopfler ["no copyright infringement indented"].... Zuckerbeg's 'My Latest Trick' is to implement a 'copyright infringement' ban on people posting their own copyrighted material! Yes....I know! '....It's an automated system designed to protect their own copyright' [whine, whine]: So then why did Suckerberg issue an direct apology to a a music phd and internationally-renowned pianist after banning his posting of his own copyrighted video....? - Only because that pianist had a fraternity buddy who's risen high in the ranks of corporate law: On being banned from posting his own copyrighted recordings, contacted his friend; Resuling in that expert in corporate law sending a stern message to facebook; In turn, resulting in a rapid apology from lord of the [internet] world, Zuckerberg himself['s department].

So, given that direct apology and admission of wrong-doing; PLUS that WITHOUT NOTICE, facebook have now banned Matt Kruse's 'Social Fixer' news page -

"Facebook Removes Social Fixer Page Without WarningPosted on September 2, 2013 by Matt Kruse

Share on FacebookcbToday, Sep 2, The Social Fixer Page has been removed from Facebook, apparently because they think it contains spam. Obviously, it does not. Luckily, the removal of the Page does not impact the functionality of the Social Fixer app at all. It will continue to function as normal in all ways. What it does affect is my ability to communicate with the hundreds of thousands of people who use my app, notify you of updates or problems, etc.

I do not know yet what prompted this decision, nor do I know if it will be permanent. I have clicked the button to appeal the decision, but I have no way of providing feedback or “pleading my case”.

The actions of Facebook are seemingly random sometimes, and there is little to nothing that users can do about it. I have heard stories from other people whose Pages have been removed without warning, never to be returned. Unfortunately, when we use Facebook as the basis for running a group or business or even a free browser extension, we are at their mercy, and we have no way of knowing for sure what the rules are or how they enforce them.

I will obviously continue following up on this, and hopefully Facebook will realize its mistake and reinstate the Page. If not, I will need to find alternate ways of communicating with users. As always, thank you for your patience as I work through annoying speed bumps like these!"

Screenshot he provides has a big giant "appeal" button in the middle of it.

Dishonest much?

Yeah this is what I've come to expect from you: Taking a statement out of context to trash someone who's offering a free service loved by hundreds of thousands. One glance and knows it all[And that's merely a reference to your remarks in your last comment, decribed below]! If you'd read the article properly, you'd see he HAS used that appeal button. Then you might understand that in stating "but I have no way of providing feedback or “pleading my case”." he is clearly referring to means other than that button. note the quotes around “pleading my case”, and you might realise he's talking about being unable to make the majority of users aware of the situation because they've taken his news page down [This bit of news got out via a small test group only].

Disingenuous much?

Oh....yeah - that, too....

* You said [quote] "When I used it long ago, there was no "no thanks". The key to that would be your own "long ago": This a Project by one man in whatever spare time he can devote to it and so it doesn't appear fully-formed,taking time to develop. * You said [quote] "The claim was that he was making "no effort" to capitalize on it....". I know he'd like to find a way to make a living from it, but in the right way and not from it's users [The original article describes approaches to fund Social Fixer]: Rge donations are NOT for profit, but to offset his own substantial expenses incurred in it's creation and development - something which did happen one month a while back....but that doesn't mean it's still happening and certainly doesn't mean he's come close to breaking even on the project over it's whole time. * You continued [quote] "....but they completely ignore the fact that he does in fact solicit donations at every possible juncture". Again, that is sumply NOT TRUE: There is the uellow panel you decribed which can now be closed on first sight, never to reappear; It's on the drop-down menu too but near the botton, so the average user just going to the first item - 'Options' - rarely realises it's there; And even on his own web site, the 'Donate' link is dulled down enough to unseen by the average person just going to install the extension [I know the site well - and had to search it out]. Finally, * You said [quote] "I can only relay what I experienced awhile ago. I have no idea what the state of it is". How can you dispute any subject with anyone if you "have no idea what the state of it is"? Why are you bothering to whine about not paying for something you don't use and clearly have no interest in?

What's out of context? Did he or did he not claim that there was no way to give feedback or plead his case? All while showing the exact way to do so.If he's referring to means other than the button he should say "I have no other way than the provided one to give feedback or plead my case"

Quote:

This a Project by one man in whatever spare time he can devote to it and so it doesn't appear fully-formed,taking time to develop.

That's fine, but it still doesn't change that that was my user experience.

Quote:

Rge donations are NOT for profit, but to offset his own substantial expenses incurred in it's creation and development - something which did happen one month a while back....but that doesn't mean it's still happening and certainly doesn't mean he's come close to breaking even on the project over it's whole time.

He might not be making a profit, but if everyone who used it suddenly donated $10, he'd be making enormous profit and I doubt he'd turn around and return it. Don't confuse not-for-profit with I-haven't-made-a-profit-yetThe fact remains that he's certainly attempted to make income in conjunction with this project, which is not how the article paints the picture.

Quote:

How can you dispute any subject with anyone if you "have no idea what the state of it is"?

I didn't I simply relayed my experience with context and was honest about when I used it and the fact that it may have changed. In the past he didn't just solicit donations through the bar. He also mentioned donating through the page itself, so even if you closed that, you'd still get the messages on the page.

What's out of context? Did he or did he not claim that there was no way to give feedback or plead his case? All while showing the exact way to do so.If he's referring to means other than the button he should say "I have no other way than the provided one to give feedback or plead my case"

Quote:

This a Project by one man in whatever spare time he can devote to it and so it doesn't appear fully-formed,taking time to develop.

That's fine, but it still doesn't change that that was my user experience.

Quote:

Rge donations are NOT for profit, but to offset his own substantial expenses incurred in it's creation and development - something which did happen one month a while back....but that doesn't mean it's still happening and certainly doesn't mean he's come close to breaking even on the project over it's whole time.

He might not be making a profit, but if everyone who used it suddenly donated $10, he'd be making enormous profit and I doubt he'd turn around and return it. Don't confuse not-for-profit with I-haven't-made-a-profit-yetThe fact remains that he's certainly attempted to make income in conjunction with this project, which is not how the article paints the picture.

Quote:

How can you dispute any subject with anyone if you "have no idea what the state of it is"?

I didn't I simply relayed my experience with context and was honest about when I used it and the fact that it may have changed. In the past he didn't just solicit donations through the bar. He also mentioned donating through the page itself, so even if you closed that, you'd still get the messages on the page.

Clearly you didn't read my last reply, but just 'cherry picked' the bits you figured you could use to make you self-admittedly uninformed case....as I described at the start of my reply. SO: The only reply I can make to this is to suggest you actually read what I've already said, because every point you've made here has already been addressed.

**** FINAL WORD **** You clearly aren't going to bother. So there IS NO pint in continuing any attempt at discussing this subject with you. Therefore, on this subject, to you, this is IS my FINAL REPLY.

"pleading my case"I believe this means that he gets no feedback from Facebook as to what the problem is.

I've seen this several times, even on Google. A page gets banned/blocked/suspended, and, if you're lucky, you get a vague reason. "Terms of Service violation", "Inappropriate", or in SocialFixer's case "Violation Facebook Terms", more specifically "Content containing Spam".

Usually, when you then ask for details, you get nothing, therefore you cannot 'plead your case' without knowing the charges against you.

"Content containing spam"? If anything, SocialFixer can help remove spam. In no way does the page spam people, AND, if there had been spam posted on the Page, then you would ban the posters of the spam, and not the page itself, wouldn't you?

Donations - asking for donations and pushing for donations are two different things.Matt does not push or plead, however there is a reminder once in a while to donate if you feel it's worth it.

And anyone that is using a plug-in daily, and gets upset when the plugin doesn't work, should really assess their values and perhaps donate if they have not already. Yes, if everyone donated $1, there would be a lot of money, but we all know that people are cheap. Yes, even those of you reading this far... how many of you have actually donated to the makers of programs you use everyday, like AdBlock?

I even admit, I don't donate as much as I should for stuff I use all the time. But I do donate when I find that I cannot go a day without something. SocialFixer makes Facebook useable for me, just because of the "Mark as Read" and "Mute" options. I can open up my Facebook stream and only see NEW posts/comments, without the clutter of the old stuff. So, SocialFixer has gotten more than one donation from me, it's valuable.

Matt is rare... he codes for free, but most importantly, he feels 'responsible' to keep the software operating even when Facebook messes things up.

Donations - asking for donations and pushing for donations are two different things.Matt does not push or plead, however there is a reminder once in a while to donate if you feel it's worth it.

And anyone that is using a plug-in daily, and gets upset when the plugin doesn't work, should really assess their values and perhaps donate if they have not already. Yes, if everyone donated $1, there would be a lot of money, but we all know that people are cheap. Yes, even those of you reading this far... how many of you have actually donated to the makers of programs you use everyday, like AdBlock?

I even admit, I don't donate as much as I should for stuff I use all the time. But I do donate when I find that I cannot go a day without something. SocialFixer makes Facebook useable for me, just because of the "Mark as Read" and "Mute" options. I can open up my Facebook stream and only see NEW posts/comments, without the clutter of the old stuff. So, SocialFixer has gotten more than one donation from me, it's valuable.

Matt is rare... he codes for free, but most importantly, he feels 'responsible' to keep the software operating even when Facebook messes things up.

facebook's falsehood - aka Zukerberg's Suck-ups It seems facebook are no longer willing to accept anything other than their own domination - unless forced: And when I say 'unless forced, I MEAN it !! To quote Knopfler ["no copyright infringement indented"].... Zuckerbeg's 'My Latest Trick' is to implement a 'copyright infringement' ban on people posting their own copyrighted material! Yes....I know! '....It's an automated system designed to protect their own copyright' [whine, whine]: So then why did Suckerberg issue an direct apology to a a music phd and internationally-renowned pianist after banning his posting of his own copyrighted video....? - Only because that pianist had a fraternity buddy who's risen high in the ranks of corporate law: On being banned from posting his own copyrighted recordings, contacted his friend; Resuling in that expert in corporate law sending a stern message to facebook; In turn, resulting in a rapid apology from lord of the [internet] world, Zuckerberg himself['s department].

So, given that direct apology and admission of wrong-doing; PLUS that WITHOUT NOTICE, facebook have now banned Matt Kruse's 'Social Fixer' news page -

"Facebook Removes Social Fixer Page Without WarningPosted on September 2, 2013 by Matt Kruse

Share on FacebookcbToday, Sep 2, The Social Fixer Page has been removed from Facebook, apparently because they think it contains spam. Obviously, it does not. Luckily, the removal of the Page does not impact the functionality of the Social Fixer app at all. It will continue to function as normal in all ways. What it does affect is my ability to communicate with the hundreds of thousands of people who use my app, notify you of updates or problems, etc.

I do not know yet what prompted this decision, nor do I know if it will be permanent. I have clicked the button to appeal the decision, but I have no way of providing feedback or “pleading my case”.

The actions of Facebook are seemingly random sometimes, and there is little to nothing that users can do about it. I have heard stories from other people whose Pages have been removed without warning, never to be returned.

Unfortunately, when we use Facebook as the basis for running a group or business or even a free browser extension, we are at their mercy, and we have no way of knowing for sure what the rules are or how they enforce them.

I will obviously continue following up on this, and hopefully Facebook will realize its mistake and reinstate the Page. If not, I will need to find alternate ways of communicating with users. As always, thank you for your patience as I work through annoying speed bumps like these!"

"but I have no way of providing feedback or “pleading my case”."Screenshot he provides has a big giant "appeal" button in the middle of it. Dishonest much?

Don't be ridiculous. Clicking a button is not providing feedback or pleading my case. There is no opportunity to write an explanation or make any statement at all about their actions and why I feel it is in error. It's pretty obvious that is what I meant.

A bit shocked that the author would demonstrate the "improvement" made possible through Social Fixer by showing his profile page set entirely to Comic Sans. But I guess de gustibus non est disputandum and all that.

When Facebook first came out one of the big advantages it had over MySpace was that people couldn't customize their profiles to look terrible through the use of bad fonts, background colors, and music/gifs.

I think a tool like Social Fixer is a nice compromise so people like the author can enjoy themes without others having to endure them.

I don't agree that themes and fonts would make Facebook better, though.

Erm....I've never seen it in Comic Sans ['Andy' being my font preference, with 'Comic Sans' where 'Andy' isn't available]. In fact, websites and pages are by default, shown in the font used....yes - but it's rare fore any site to use anything but the standards....and a facebook profile font.... ....can only be changed with a browser extension such as Social Fixer; or - depending on browser - your browser settings. In other words....errr....sorry....but it's got to come from your own settings, somewhere!

IF you need help with those settings, please reply to this with what browser you're using etc, and - as soon as I get the chance! - if I can I'll walk you through browser and Social Fixer font settings.

And btw [please don't take offence!]If you don't want to use themes and / or fonts - yeah!! Your choice!! ....And that's the point: It gives us all the option of choosing.

"but I have no way of providing feedback or “pleading my case”."Screenshot he provides has a big giant "appeal" button in the middle of it. Dishonest much?

Don't be ridiculous. Clicking a button is not providing feedback or pleading my case. There is no opportunity to write an explanation or make any statement at all about their actions and why I feel it is in error. It's pretty obvious that is what I meant.

It's DEFINITELY Friday the 13th!! - I was about to reply to thank you for your support of Social Fixer and Matt Kruse, when.... LOL!!

"Content containing spam"? If anything, SocialFixer can help remove spam. In no way does the page spam people, AND, if there had been spam posted on the Page, then you would ban the posters of the spam, and not the page itself, wouldn't you?

We'll see how this turns out.

It could be that others are complaining (nefariously?) that his page generates spam.

"Content containing spam"? If anything, SocialFixer can help remove spam. In no way does the page spam people, AND, if there had been spam posted on the Page, then you would ban the posters of the spam, and not the page itself, wouldn't you?

We'll see how this turns out.

It could be that others are complaining (nefariously?) that his page generates spam.

There was a facebook group - now removed - which used Social Fixer's name to spread a malware script which effectively generated a LOT of spam - but facebook in general [and I'd hazard a guess that #Suckabug specifically] knows very well it was nothing to do with Matt Kruse [tracked to the Middle East, I think], and at BEST used it as an excuse.